Thrifted. Second hand. Preowned. Used. Old. Worn. This is what family and friends think of when I say I shop at the thrift store.
I see inexpensive, low-priced, bargains, one of a kind items and smoking deals.
Only 5 of the items here were purchased new, and on sale at that. I like to save me some money!
Everything else is preowned, purchased either at thrift stores or from online resale apps. There’s something about the hunt and not knowing what you’ll find while out thrifting. Most stores offer discounts and tag sale days, get to know those days and sign up for coupons.
Not ready to dive into a thrift store? Try shopping on Poshmark for gently used items. Those pink platform boots were a score from Poshmark for $20!!!! And that umbrella-Victoria’s Secret and pink- My color!!! Was just $5 on Poshmark. Ready to shop preowned?
Creative sourcing ideas before and during the pandemic May 2020
The Posh Kings (Brad & Jon) and Violet_507 (Jazmin) recently hosted the 1st Virtual Reseller Symposium in May 2020. A weekend full of information on an array of topics in the world of reselling. Our segment was on creative sourcing. Myself, @trishvan99, Gretchen @poshlikeaboss, Jianna @styledbyjaonposh were on the panel being moderated by Leslie @aresellerspassion.
The segment was on creative sourcing before and during the pandemic. Some of the ideas that we went over on sourcing without leaving your home were ways anyone can obtain inventory. Whether you are a smaller seller or a seasoned pro.
I’m still a hobby reseller, meaning I do not have a reseller license and do this for fun. Yes! I still get excited every time I make a sale. I also am not paying any household bills or have any employees to take care of, LUCKY. I cannot remember the last time I had or used a credit card, everything is cash on my part. Some of you will identify with me.
With that being said I do have a budget for my sourcing. My best places to shop (before shutdown) are the bins (Goodwill Outlet) and dollar day at the Goodwill. To me this is where to get the most inventory for the money. At the bins I can easily get 3 big trash bags of inventory for under $40. Do a Google search to see if you have a Goodwill Clearance Center in your area. Yes, the bins are scary, but so is spending a ton of money!
Local Non profit and charity based thrift stores are also at the top of my regular sourcing spots. They are usually run by volunteers and the proceeds go back into the community.
Before and during the pandemic I always source with credits. If you have credit on Poshmark, ebay, Mercari or other platform, use that to source. You will be helping out another reseller and acquiring inventory with no direct money going out. Using key words such as closet closing, liquidation, closing store, going out of business, bundle deals and clear out, will guide you to better deals. Refine your search to low to high and free shipping.
Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor app and Craigslist also came up as sources. On Facebook, the way I have sourced is if you see multiple listings from one person, locally, send them a message “how much for all you have?”, I’ve done this and have developed a relationship with a local lady that now will message me when she has items to ‘get rid’ of. Don’t be afraid to message these sellers, most of the time they are only looking to sell what they have and not donate. I myself have sourced this way on Facebook and Craigslist in the past, not during shutdown.
The other resellers have used the Nextdoor app for sourcing, and have good results with lots of inventory. I have not done this yet, and cannot offer any advice on this. If this is something you are interested in trying, contact the others on the panel. I’m sure they would love to help get you going.
The other resellers also mentioned buying wholesale and pallets online. Gretchen mentioned splitting a pallet with another seller-this sounds like a great idea! Feel free to reach out to them for more information on this, remember-I do not have a license and cannot share any contacts or cost with you.
This following did not come up in the segment-but, there are a couple of places that I am aware of where you can purchase cases and lots without a license. Jomar, B&G Trading, American Jen, Bulq, and Thredup, and all are online places to source without leaving your home and do not require a license.
Jomar has some great deals on cases of jeans, swim, and jeans. You cover the shipping, which seems high to me personally. Remember-i’m cheap!
B&G Trading is allover instagram, I have not ordered from them but the pricing seems fair and everyone seems to have a code to save. I’ve seen good hauls and many with damaged items. Do some research.
American Jen sells on Facebook and ebay, lots are available at different price poinst on new VS and VS PINK-I have purchased from Jen a few times with no issues. Her lots sell on Facebook twice a month and tend to sell out quickly. Get on the list!!!!
Bulq offers pallets and smaller cases of clothing and shoes, these are not items I would want to order in bulk, but good prices.
Thredup offers rescue boxes and I’ve seen plenty of good hauls on instagram. I have yet to order one of these types of boxes. I have ordered from thredup by single items, this is time consuming. The best thing to do is to search ‘assorted’ brands and be ready to do some research.
Another point that was brought up was to look around your home for items not being used. List those games, book and office items.
Retail arbitrage was also brought up, I personally don’t do any of this. These prices are high and i’m still learning brands for this type of investment.
Lastly, I recommend relisting. Look at your older stale items, take some ne photos and freshen up the titles, check descriptions and list them as they are brand new items to your closet or store.
Overall the segment went by too quickly to share the endless sourcing options out there. Don’t be afraid to reach out to another reseller for ideas and suggestions. There will be some that are not willing to share their contacts with you, but many other resellers will. Never hurts to ask!
Lastly, Poshmark has a wonderful community of resellers helping resellers. Be on the lookout for what the Posh Kings come up with next!
How to get a new label for Poshmark orders that are more than 5lbs.
The Poshmark shipping label allows up to 5 lbs with their Priority Mail label. Occasionally a heavier coat or a multi item bundle will exceed the weight limit. You can upgrade the label up to 10 lbs. It is the responsibility or the seller to cover the cost for a heavier label-the cost is taken from the potential earnings of this order. It’s a good idea to have a scale and weigh packages that ‘seem’ a bit heavier.
If you know the weight and are ready to upgrade the label, here’s how:
Utilizing wall space for everyday shipping supplies.
I’m all about saving money and being practical. In the beginning of my reselling journey I kept all my shipping supplies in a tub. Every time I mad a sale, i’d pull out the tub and wrap my package on the kitchen table. Every time. Every sale. Yes, I know, why?
I remember seeing a storage hack on Pinterest using these wall organizers to arrange snacks in the pantry. Genius! These have other uses in other places! I actually have mine mounted on the wall and keep all my shipping supplies within close reach. Shipping and packaging is a lot easier having a designated area.
If you participate in CCO, you drop the price by 10%, and hope someone bites. Another CCO comes around! You drop the price again, no one bites. Hold on, there will be another CCO in a few days. Now your item is priced too low with too many likers, they weren’t going to buy anyway. Relist.
Offer to likers, great idea!!! Every person that ‘liked’ your item gets the offer with discounted shipping. Every person that had ever ‘liked’ the item gets alerted every time you drop the price even lower, this can make you look desperate after too many offers. Relist.
Users will ‘like’ an item for different reasons. Some actually like the item and hope you make an offer. Some sellers will like an item and save it when looking up comps. Party hosts will ‘like’ an item for a possible future host pick. Some will even ‘like’ an item and plan on buying someday, way in the future, like when they win the lottery. And, yes, some will throw you a ‘like’ thinking this is instagram, with no intention of every buying anything.
Relist those items, check the title and description for errors. Retake new photos if necessary. Get some new eyes on your closet and a better chance for sales.
Write your sales and goals where you can see them!
I use a dry erase calendar on the wall to write down sales and goals. I keep a running tally and can easily track my sales at a glance. I still am a fan of an old fashioned planner and carry one in my backpack for daily use.
Ever see an item for sale as NIB or NWOT? Ever wonder what they mean? Here’s some common terms I’ve come across.
NIB new in box
NWOT new without tags
TTS true to size
OBO or best offer
MOC mint on card
NRFB never removed from box
COA certificate of authenticity
NOS new old stock
OOAK one of a kind
NBW never been worn
NIP new in package
NWT new with tags
BF best fit
VGC very good condition
BNWT brand new with tags
BNWOT brand new without tags
Depending on the platform you use, these terms can be useful in describing your item or saving space within the title. Buyers may also include these terms in their search. Be sure to include terms that fit your items description for better visibility. Have some terms to share? Let me know.
Are you seeing commercials for Poshmark? Wondering the the deal is? Did you see a cute pair of shoes on instagram for sale on Poshmark and had no clue where to go?
Follow the link to my Poshmark closet and start shopping!
Get the app and use code trishvan99 to save on your 1st order.
A stay at home mom, reselling my days away.... 
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